The Eye Of The Gazer
Chapter 25
Gabrielle Delacour regained consciousness to find herself lying on the floor, her head supported on a cushion. She realised immediately where she was, but as she sat up, the sight that greeted her stunned her: for her future father-in-law was seated in an armchair, his face streaked with bloody tears, and kneeling on the floor at his feet, holding his hands in hers and kissing them, was Jane Currer. She was wearing a dressing gown that had obviously been hastily arranged, for it had fallen open at the front. Gabrielle could see Jane's breasts, and surely Lucius could see them even more clearly from his position. Yet Jane, normally so prim and modest, with her partly unclothed body clearly visible and her long wet hair disarranged, did not seem to care at all. Gabrielle then remembered the recent scream in the night, and all fell into place: Jane was the one who had uttered that ecstatic cry: she it was who had warmed Lucius' bed while Bryony's mother was in Japan.
But that matter could wait. Gabrielle turned towards Bryony's bed, to see how the child was recovering, and was shocked to see that she was still lying there as if dead. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if Bryony was truly a corpse; but then she reassured herself that it was not so: the remaining life within the still, small body, undetectable by any normal witch, or even by any but the most sensitive Healer, spoke to the Veela within Gabrielle as loudly as if the child were calling her name.
Gabrielle stood up rapidly, was forced to bow her head for a short while when she felt momentarily faint, and then went over to Lucius. She put a firm hand on his shoulder, and said, "Monsieur! Tell me, what 'as 'appened to Bryony? Did ze antidote not work? Monsieur Malfoy! Speak to me!"
Lucius looked up, a slightly dazed expression on his face. "There is no antidote," he said, forcing out the words. "The phial has broken."
Gabrielle looked into those grey eyes filled with pain, and saw a different Lucius: he seemed helpless with grief, as if his mind had grown numb and refused to work. Speaking to him gently, she said, "Monsieur, all is not lost. We can get some more."
"More?"
"Yes, why not? If you wish to stay wiz Bryony, we can send an owl, or I will go to see Professeur Snape for you."
"No, it's useless! We do not have time! It will be too late!"
"Time? Yes, of course zere is enough time! Do you not know 'ow ze Draught of Living Des works?"
"Gabrielle, the antidote must be used within two hours of administering the potion! Yes, I am certain Snape said as much; and it took him more than two hours to brew both potions. He has neither in stock, for they must be freshly prepared. Gabrielle, what are you saying? Snape is a Master of Potions, his ability and knowledge were always beyond even that of Slughorn, his own potions teacher at Hogwarts. Do you claim to know more about potions than him? When we made our plan, you knew no more than I."
Gabrielle frowned, for Lucius was right about her earlier apparent ignorance. She thought carefully, for the Veela have knowledge beyond mortal wizards, especially in matters of life and death; and just as no wizard would reveal his magical knowledge to a mere Muggle, the Veela also have their secrets that they keep from wizards. The Veela sisterhood had learned over millennia that it is prudent not to mention such powers before warlocks and wizards, who might then seek to use one of their sorority to further their own unworthy ends.
Lucius also seemed to have forgotten that they had an audience; for Jane Currer, still kneeling, was regarding the pair from wide, astonished eyes. But Gabrielle had not forgotten, and she must therefore on both accounts refrain from saying too much.
She said to Lucius, hoping that the hastily invented explanation would be plausible, "Ze asphodel in ze potion 'as a link wiz ze underworld. Remember, I am part Veela. Ze properties of ze potion were revealed to me when you first opened ze phial and ze fumes were released. I breazed in ze fumes, and zey spoke to me. Ze potion itself, it does not kill. Bryony will remain in ze Living Des until she is given ze antidote. She will only die if we wait so long she dies of de'ydration, for naturellement she cannot eat or drink.
"So, Monsieur, zere is time enough for Professeur Snape to make you more."
Lucius' expression changed in an instant as Gabrielle's words sunk in. He stood up, and Jane Currer stood also. She looked from one face to the other in puzzlement, unable to comprehend that these two were responsible for Bryony's condition; and that Bryony was not in fact dead, but in some kind of drugged suspended animation.
Lucius hesitated, deciding what to do. Then he said, "I will go and see Snape myself. It is better that I should be the one to explain what just occurred."
Gabrielle said gently, "Monsieur, I know Professeur Snape is your friend, but I suggest you do not tell 'im what I 'ave just said, for it is not wise to tell a Potions Master 'is business. Say instead zat you 'ave not yet used ze draught.
"Oh, and Monsieur, I sink you should wash your face before you leave, so 'e does not see zat you are upset."
Lucius nodded. "You are right, my dear. And I shall not, of course, tell him what really happened here." He then disapparated immediately, the sorrow on his face replaced by a determined expression.
Gabrielle and Jane looked at each other, the French witch trying not to stare at Jane's exposed breasts. Then Jane realised her state of déshabille, and blushed deeply, drawing her dressing gown more closely about her, and retying the sash so that she was more modestly covered. Jane then said, "Gabrielle, I do not pretend to understand what is happening here, but tell me one thing: is Bryony truly still alive?"
"Yes, she is; and zere is no reason why she should not be perfectly un'armed when she wakes up. But Jane, you also are a surprise for me." Gabrielle then said carefully, "It is per'aps not my place to say zis, but I see you are very close to Monsieur Malfoy."
"Yes, I am," replied Jane, honestly and simply.
"And it was you we 'eard ze ozzer night in 'is room, Draco and I, when we came back to ze Manor?"
Jane's face was now bright crimson, and she merely nodded in affirmation.
"And Cho?" asked Gabrielle quietly, "What of 'er?"
Jane sighed deeply. "I know how it must seem to you Gabrielle, but our relationship began while Miss Chang and Lucius were estranged. I made sure to ask about her, and was told they had parted three years ago."
Gabrielle nodded her head in sympathy, for this put the subject into quite a different light. "Ah, I see. And now zey are togezzer again? Zat is difficult for you, n'est-ce pas?"
"Yes. I thought I had lost him. But it seems he still wants me."
"But Jane, what will you do? 'E goes to Gildenford 'All every night when Cho is zere."
"I know. I have even heard them together," replied Jane despondently. "I know Lucius loves Miss Chang. But I love him so much, I cannot refuse him anything. I think, in the end, I must leave, for this situation is impossible; but for now, I live one day at a time." She looked up at Gabrielle. "Do you think I am wicked and wrong for doing this?"
Gabrielle smiled, an ethereal creature barely of this world, her white-blonde hair glowing like a halo in the candlelight. "No, Jane, you are not wicked. And it is not for me to decide whezzer you are right or wrong. I can see 'ow attractive Monsieur Malfoy is; am I not about to marry 'is son, who is very like 'im in many ways? Also, you do not say zis, but I know 'is reputation for great skill in ze ways of love: oo would not wish to learn from such a man?" She put her arms around Jane's shoulders, and kissed her on each cheek. "Do not worry what ozzers sink, Jane. Do as your 'eart tells you."
Even as Gabrielle spoke to Jane of her continuing friendship and her acceptance of the governess's secret love for Lucius Malfoy, simultaneously she performed a small act of treachery. The young French witch, calling upon her Veela powers to reinforce the magic she had learned at Beauxbatons, whispered under her breath, "Obliviate", all the while stroking Jane's damp hair in the manner of a mother reassuring a child.
Thus Gabrielle Delacour preserved the Malfoy secret of the last days of Voldemort.
The extended Chang family had just finished Sunday lunch at Gildenford Hall. This ritual still persisted, although less frequently than previously. The many dishes of a Chinese banquet had finally been consumed, with a small portion of each symbolically remaining to demonstrate the generosity of the hosts. Witches and wizards left the table in twos and threes, talking enthusiastically about the price of jade, Quidditch, or a friend's new baby; or in the case of the youngsters, arguing over which was the best new trick from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Cho was about to stand up, when her grandmother asked her quietly to remain behind.
Bryony had departed with her cousins. In deference to her recent near death experience, which awed them somewhat, the other children were less boisterous than normal, and there was less of their usual pushing and jostling. The family all knew that Bryony had nearly died from laburnum poisoning a few weeks previously; but as far as her recent illness was concerned, they had been told that the young witch had been unfortunate enough to catch a case of phantom fur balls from her pet cat Nudge: the poor child had coughed up any number of fur balls in the last week, and as a result was quite weak from coughing so frequently. Bryony's own memory had been modified by her father so that she too believed the story, and she told her Chang cousins seriously in a small, hoarse voice how the fur balls had tickled the back of her throat.
Now, the children chattered and giggled with their customary enthusiasm, and their noisy progress could be heard as they made their way along the corridor, quite making up for any lack of the same from a slightly subdued Bryony, who was nevertheless determined not to miss any of the fun.
Jane Currer was, as usual, absent. There was a standing invitation that she was welcome to eat with the family during these Sunday meals, but Jane always quietly excused herself. As a governess she was not a servant, but neither was she a Chang by birth or by marriage, and large gatherings such as these only served to accentuate this fact. So it had been agreed between Jane and Madam Chang that Sundays were her regular free day, and thus she might spend them any way she chose. Today, she had gone to visit an elderly distant relative who lived in London.
Madam Chang closed the door after the stragglers, and sat across the table from Cho. Bryony's mother had been told the story of the phantom fur balls on her return from Tokyo, and she had accepted this tale without question, as had her grandmother. Madam Chang now regarded Cho seriously from wise eyes, busily alert in her aged face.
"I know we live in the same house, Cho, but we rarely see each other. So I am taking the chance today to speak to you, because I can see that things have changed again between you and Lucius Malfoy. Of course, we are all aware that you are reconciled." Cho felt herself blushing at this statement. "If this is what you wanted, I am happy for you, and also for Bryony. I do admit that in the beginning I was greatly doubtful about Mr Malfoy's suitability as a parent, but he has proven himself to be a loving and caring father, and Bryony loves him too. I can see it would be good for all of you if you were to be a family again.
"But now we have an added complication. I employed Jane Currer for you as a governess, and now that her presence here has affected more than only Bryony, I see you do not know what to do. No, Cho, do not look so surprised! I know that Lucius has been seeing Jane, and not only as Bryony's father. Before your reconciliation, he paid her a great deal of attention, which did not go unremarked. The house elves know that she spent two nights away from the Hall, and it does not take a genius to deduce that she spent those nights at Malfoy Manor, especially when her demeanour was so altered on her return."
Cho gasped at this revelation, for although she had told Alan of her suspicions, there had always been the small possibility that she was mistaken. It now seemed that there was no further doubt, for Madam Chang would not have mentioned these facts were she not almost certain of their interpretation. Now she looked at Cho more closely, and said, "I see I have confirmed what you merely suspected. I am sorry to be the bearer of such tidings, but it is better to be open, is it not?"
Cho sighed, and said, "You're right of course. I did suspect there was something between them, but didn't know how to ask Lucius if it was true. If I said nothing, I could pretend I didn't know." She looked up at her grandmother, and said quietly, almost forcing out the words, "Do you know what happened while I was in Japan?"
The old witch nodded. "I insisted that Nanny went with Bryony. I pretended it was to free Miss Currer from the responsibilities of childcare: I told her that it was not a governess's place to be a nursemaid, she is a teacher. Really, of course, Nanny was my eyes and ears at Malfoy Manor. I asked her to watch and listen and keep me informed."
"And?"
"Jane did not sleep in her own bed. Every night but one, she went to Lucius. Nanny even heard them the first night. Jane also started to wear her hair in a more attractive style for the duration of her stay, but I see she has gone back to her old habits again now."
Cho looked hopelessly at Madam Chang, seemingly unable to respond. Her grandmother continued, "The first thing I must ask you is, do you wish to terminate Jane Currer's appointment?"
Cho bit her lip, and then looked up. "I do not want to sack Jane," she replied quietly but firmly. "She's a very good teacher, and Bryony loves her. Also, I can't reasonably blame Lucius for seeking consolation with someone else. He had been alone with no female company for a long while, and we were living apart. Nor can I blame Jane for responding to Lucius if he was kind to her. I was once in the same position as her: I thought he no longer cared for his wife. But it does hurt that Lucius is still seeing her now we're so much closer again."
Madam Chang nodded. "I am pleased to hear you say this, Cho. I would not have liked you to send Jane away because of her involvement with Lucius, for I too feel she is blameless. So on that matter we are both agreed. But does Lucius really care for Jane, or is she merely a convenience? What is to happen to her? For I believe she is in love with him. She arranged to go to China with young Neville at very short notice. I think she wished to get away from Lucius for a while. She planned to only go for a week so that she would be here when Bryony came home, but I tried to persuade her to go for the full two weeks, as I thought she was right that distance might help her to think more clearly. But then she returned, and now we know that Lucius is still interested in her.
"Has it occurred to you, Cho, that it is possible she may decide to leave us of her own free will if she finds the situation unbearable? For she must know that you two are reconciled."
"Yes, she's in a very difficult position," agreed Cho. "She might leave to avoid seeing Lucius anymore."
"Then let me ask you something. Let us suppose that for Lucius Jane is more than just a passing fancy, and that she decides to remain here. Could you live with this fact? Would you expect Lucius to put her aside for you? Or could you tolerate it if he persisted in sleeping with her?"
Cho stared at her grandmother. "I don't know, Grandma," she said hopelessly, "That's what I've been asking myself over and over again. It's why I haven't asked Lucius to confirm my suspicions, because I didn't know what I would decide to do if I knew."
Madam Chang sat very still, and her eyes took on a faraway look. Then she focused on Cho once more, and said slowly, "Cho, there is another way. There is more than one way to solve this situation. You are Chinese. Remember your great grandmother.
"Try to think of things in an Eastern way. It may be the solution."